07 Aug Operation Daybreak
Operation Daybreak, WWII Movie starring Timothy Bottoms
(1975) Operation Daybreak is the true story of the 1942 assassination by a British special commando unit of German SS leader Reinhard Heydrich, also known as “The Hangman” and “The Butcher of Prague” for his brutal rule of Czechoslovakia. He was also instrumental in the early planning of Nazi atrocities.
The movie was shown as part of the Military Channel’s excellent “An Office and a Movie” series. Host Lou Diamond Phillips introduced his guest Lt. General Jerry Boykin, former United States Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence who added insights about U.S. special operation forces which began to be organized after this event.
Incidentally, Host Phillips mentioned that the actual title of the operation was “Operation Anthropoid” but the producers felt that at the time that it would not be a good movie title, an anthropoid being an animal that resembles a man. “Nowadays it might play a little bit better,” Phillips said.
I’ve seen other movies on this same event–Hitler’s Madman and Hangmen Also Die were both released in 1943. When they came out, the story was big news, but all the facts weren’t known yet. I am sure the audience reaction to the horrific Nazi reprisals was highly emotional.
This movie in 1975 was based on the 1960 book “Seven Men at Daybreak” by Alan Burgess. Burgess visited Czechoslovakia and was able through interviews and records available today to write about what happened in much more detail. For that reason, I liked this version best.
And because it was filmed largely in Prague the streets and buildings were beautiful and very authentic.
August 12, 2011 Update: Amazingly, I just came across a Life Magazine article written by an American student who witnessed this event. Of course, no one knew all the details behind the plot then but this first-hand account was very interesting.
Operation Daybreak at amazon.com
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